ment; but the Confequences of it would have been very pernicious, had not the King prevented them. It were to be wifhed the Hiftorian had given us a fhort Account of that Quarrel; I am apt to believe it would have been the moft entertaining Part of my Extract.

12. The following Particulars are very Curious. Chriftopher Columbo having discovered Part of a New World, was forced by ftormy Weather to touch at Lisbon upon his Return into Spain, He waited upon King John, gave him a long Account of his Navigation, and fo highly extolled the Wealth of thofe Countries which he had found out, that he feemed to reflect upon that Prince for refufing to accept his Propofals. The King being displeased with it, and looking upon Columbo as a Man, who had encroached upon the Right of the Portuguese in making fuch Discoveries, heard him with fome Uneafinefs, and difmiffed him with a difobliging An fwer. Soon after, being vexed either because he had neglected a fair Opportunity of enlarging his Dominions, or because the Portuguese were no longer the only Nation that could boaft of having difcovered unknown Countries, he fummoned his Council to deliberate about it. The Council were di vided in their Opinions. Some declared, That Co Jumbo fhould be put to Death. "For (faid they) if

66

we kill that Man, who is the only Perfon that knows the Way into thofe Countries, no body "will advife King Ferdinand to carry on fuch a "chargeable and doubtful Enterprise. Befides, "fuppofe any body fhould advife him to it, the "Undertaking would be very dangerous. They added, that "when the Question is about the Publick

66

Good, a greater Regard ought to be had to what "is Ufeful than to what is Honeft; and that Co"lumbo deferved to be put to Death for deceiv"ing two Kings, by pretending to make them be. "belive, that his new Attempt was not prejudi"cial to the Right of the Portuguefe."

Others

Others were of Opinion, "That the King would "break the Laws of Hofpitality, if he should put

to Death a Man, whom he had friendly receiv"ed in one of his Ports, and admitted into his "Royal Prefence; that Faith ought never to be vio"lated, even for the Publick Good; that it were

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much better to fit out a Fleet with all Speed, "and to take Poffeffion of all the Countries newly "difcovered by the Portuguese, before Ferdinand "could take any Refolution in fuch a doubtful Cafe, and make the neceffary Preparations for a Sea-Expedition,"

σε

The King yielded to this laft Opinion; and ha ving made feveral Presents to Columbo, permitted him to fet-out for Spain. In the mean time he ordered, that a Fleet fhould be ready with all poffible Dili gence. Whereupon there arofe a great Contest between John and Ferdinand: Several Ambaffadors were fent on both Sides to pacify that Difference. One of the Two laft Spanish Ambaffadors being lame,' and the other an empty fhallow Man; the King of Portugal faid, It was an Embaffy that had neither Head nor Feet. At laft the Two Princes made a Treaty, whereby they divided the World between themselves. John having the Right of chufing, because he was the firft Discoverer of New Countries, kept the Eastern Parts for himself, and left the Western to Ferdinand. That Treaty was confirmed by Pope Alexander VI.

13. Our Hiftorian informs us, That the King be ing very zealous for the Converfion of the Jews who had fled into his Kingdom, caufed a great many Jewish Children to be baptized, and taken from their Parents, and fent them to the Ifle of St. Thomas on the Coast of Africa under the Equator.

14. The

14. That Prince was always very careful, that every body fhould pay him the Refpect due to a King. Being upon his Death-Bed, one of his Of ficers pulled him by the Beard, to awake him from a Fit of Lethargy. The King awaked, and told him, It had been more decent to pull him by the Feet.

15. We are told, That King John died in a very. edifying Manner. An Altar was fet up in his Cham ber; and a Crucifix, and the Images of the Holy. Virgin, and of St. John the Baptift, were placed upon it. He frequently confeffed his Sins, forgave his Enemies, and took his leave of all his Friends. A Noble Man asked him a Present through the Wounds of Jefus Chrift. The King granted him his Request, and added, That he had never denied any thing that was asked him after that Manner. But when he perceived that the Noble Man grew troublesome and exceffive in his Demands, he plainly told him, That he would not difpofe of the Wealth of a Kingdom that was no longer his. He confeffed that he had lived a very unchafte Life. Afterwards. he defired, That the Hiftory of the Suf ferings and Death of Jefus Chrift should be read to him, and heard it with great Devotion. He de clared, That the Title of Highness fhould be no longer beftowed upon him, because he was only a miferable Man. He feverely reproved a Bishop, whofe Conduct was not answerable to his Character; and the Bishop promised him to mend his Life.' Laftly, He expired reciting the Hymn, O Lamb of God, that takeft away the Sins of the World, have mercy upon me.

The Bishop who attended that Prince to his laft Breath, and another Lord, found accidentally a Box, which the King kept very private. They expected to find in it thofe Poisons, with which he was faid to have haftened the Death of feveral Perfons; and

there

therefore they opened the Box with a Defign to burn them, left they fhould fall into the Hands of fome Men, who would have blafted his Reputation upon that account. But, to their great Surprife, they found nothing in it but Difciplines, and other Inftruments with which he mortified his Body *..

16. An Author, who publishes a Book in a Coun try where the Inquifition prevails, can never be too cautious; which is the Reason why the following Lines have been inferted at the End of this Hiftory. They appear to me very curious.

Si forte Libellus aliqua verba, contineat, que Eth nicorum ritus, redoleant; Auctor profitetur eo animo feripta effe, ut Latine Lingue candor fervetur, & in Chriftianum fenfum accipiantur, feque, omniaque fua Sanda Matris Ecclefie decretis libentiffime fubmittit.

*Sed pro venenis invenerunt flagella, & alia cru ciandi corporis inftrumenta.

1

ARTICLE LXXIV.

LONDON.

Dwards,

R. Whitby has anfwered the Book of Dr. Ed wards, Principal of Fefus-College at Oxford," mentioned by me in one of the foregoing Volumes.

A full Answer to the Arguments of the Reverend Dr. Jonathan Edwards, for the Opinion of St. Austin, concerning the Imputation of the first Sin of Adam, for

Guilt to all his Pofterity; proving that Doctrine to be contrary. I. To the common Principles of Mankind. II. To the clear Evidence of Reafon. III. To the Scriptures expounded by the Holy Fathers. IV. To the Sentiments of most of the Ancients before St. Auftin's Time, and of the Greek and Eastern Churches at, and after that Time. By Daniel Whitby, D. D. and Chantor of the Church of Sarum. London: Printed for John Wyat at the Rofe in St. Paul's Churchyard. 1712. in 8vo. Pagg. 196.

The Author declares that he is refolved to keep within the Bounds of Moderation in answering his Antagonist; and alledges two Reasons for it. 1. Becaufe a bitter Zeal in Theological Controverfies "tends highly to the Prejudice of our moft excel"lent Religion, and fhelters Men in their Iniquity, putting into their Hearts this vile Sufpicion, that "Divines] do not from [their] Hearts believe those Precepts, which in [their] Writings [they] fo plain "Practice ly do tranfgrefs". 2. Because fuch a "tends to juftify profane Men in their wicked "Courses, and puts into their Mouths this Plea: "Why may not we as well tranfgrefs thofe Precepts

(The

which relate to Sobriety, Temperance, and Chafti86 ty, by Gluttony and Drunkenness, by Whoredom "and Adultery, as you Divines take the Liberty_to tranfgrefs thofe Precepts which do as plainly fay, Fudge not, that you be not judged; condemn not, that ye be not condemned; for with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again Author quotes Several other Paffages to the fame Purpofe.) Or why should we dread these Words of "Chrift in Expofition of the Seventh Commandment, "He that looketh on a Woman to luft after her, bath "committed Adultery with her in his Heart; if you "dread not his Words relating to the Expofition of "the Sixth Commandment, He that calleth bis Bro"ther Raka, fhall be in Danger ef the Judgment, "and he that faith to him, thou Fool, fhall be in dan"ger of Hell-fire. Are not Hatred, Emulations, Wrath, * Strife,